


Dear Santa

by alexandeer



Series: Harry is Raised By Others Fics [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Christmas Season, Gen, Letters to Santa, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Random Updates, Rating May Change, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Tags May Change, Vows, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-09-19 13:22:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17002443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandeer/pseuds/alexandeer
Summary: Harry writes a letter to Santa, it accidentally ends up at Severus Snape's house. What does the man do when he reads the alarming contents of the letter?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trickster32](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trickster32/gifts).



> Based on this bunny (https://archiveofourown.org/works/16775065/chapters/39876288) by Trickster32. Harry's letter was taken directly from the bunny, so credit to that to Trickster32 as well as the idea of course!!
> 
> I hope people like this and I hope the have the second chapter out soon, I am already working on it :D

Ever since Mrs Wilson had told Harry all little children could send Santa Claus a letter with their greatest wish for Christmas, Harry had send a letter each year. It was now 2 years since he had learned about letters and he had found some crayons Dudley no longer liked and some pieces of paper in the attic in a box Aunt Tuny said needed to be thrown out. 

He was working very hard on his letter. He hoped Santa would read his letter and know he was trying so very hard to be a good boy. He didn’t want to be on the naughty list again this year. He tried very hard to obey his aunt and uncle and to be a good kid, but sometimes weird things just happened around him. His relatives despised weird things, anything that wasn’t normal was wrong and when Harry did something wrong he would be send to his cupboard without food. 

Even though Harry wasn’t sure if Santa would think he was good this year, he knew he had to write a letter and he had to make it perfect. It was his only chance at getting a happy family. 

He read through the letter on more time and put it in the envelope. Mrs Figg had promised she would send it to Santa for him after she babysat him tomorrow. He was happy he had Mrs Figg, even if she had a lot of smelly cats and a lot of cat pictures. She was one of the few adults who was nice to Harry and he liked that. It was very nice, sometimes she even gave him biscuits. 

 

The last thing Severus was expecting to find between his mail was a letter addressed to Santa. It was clearly a mistake. Usually postal services tended to throw these letters out, they did not have a proper address after all. Somehow this one had found itself between his mail. 

He wondered whether he should read it. He imagined it was from a happy child somewhere whose parents had already read the letter and knew just what to get the little menace. Still, right before he discarded it something inside him told him he should open the letter and read it. That it was more important than it seemed. 

 

_**Dear Santa,** _

 

_**I wish for a family, who loves me like I am.** _

_**I am a good boy,  but my aunt, uncle and cousin always call me** ~~**freak** ~~ **.** _

_**I can do a lot, cooking, gardening and even cleaning the house, even better than Aunt' Tuny.** _

_**I want a Daddy, who reads with me, tug me in and calls me his little boy.** _

_**I can't do anything against those freaky accidents. I'll try, but it happens all the time, and then I have to spend days without food and water into my cupboard.** _

_**Please, Mr. Santa - I just want a home, nothing else.** _

__**  
** **  
** **Kind Regards Harry** ~~**Freak** ~~ **Potter.**

 

Severus didn’t know what to make of the letter. He had believed the child to be well-off and raised by loving people and being taught about their world. Dumbledore had ensured him that was the case the last time Severus had asked. But this letter implied that none of that was true and made Severus’s heart ache a little. 

Part of him wanted to ignore it, pretend Dumbledore would never lie. But he couldn’t. No, he had made a promise to Lily that he would always protect her son and he had to at least check on him. Just to make sure he was okay. 

He changed into some muggle clothes and used a tracking charm on the letter which would lead him straight to Harry. He found the boy sitting on a swing set in the cold winter air in a deserted park. 

While Severus was deciding whether he would approach or not, the boy was already tugging on his coat. 

“Did Santa send you, sir? To see if I am a good boy?” Harry asked softly, “I try very hard I promise.” 

Severus knew if he left now, those green eyes would always haunt him. So he stayed and decided to find out exactly how badly the boy was being treated. The bruises Severus could spot didn’t promise many good things. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 :D It's not the longest but I hope everyone likes it!!

Harry looked at the tall man. He wondered if he was allowed to talk to him and decided he was. Aunt Tuny only ever told Dudley he couldn’t talk to strangers, so that meant Harry could and he would still be a good boy. Besides, maybe Santa had send him. The man had suddenly appeared in the street so he must be special. 

“Did Santa send you, sir? To see if I am a good boy?” Harry asked quietly, giving the man hopeful eyes. “I try very hard I promise.” He added quickly. He didn’t want the man to think he was naughty. 

“Are you Harry Potter?” The man asked after a short silence. 

Harry nodded, “Mrs Wilson told me that was my name.” He smiled, then it faded, “My aunt Tuny and uncle Vernon call me freak but I promise I don’t mean to make the freaky things happen.” Harry said worried. 

The man got on his knees in front of Harry, ignoring the cold ground. “My name is Severus Snape,” He said calmly, “It’s nice to meet you Harry, I got your letter.” 

“So Santa did send you.” Harry smiled. “I can show you my cupboard if you want to see. It’s not very big but I fit inside.” He said, not noticing the sad look the man gave him. 

“Alright Harry,” Severus said, “and your bruises? Did you fall?” He asked. 

Harry looked around him scaredly, “I’m not supposed to say, so you can’t tell anyone.” He said, then whispered, “Uncle Vernon gets angry and hits me sometimes, when I make the freaky things happen and Dudley chases me with his friends and kicks me. Aunt Tuny says I must never tell anybody.” He looked terrified. 

“I promise you are safe, Harry.” Severus said. 

The boy hugged him tightly. It was clear he had never had much affection because even the simplest promise made him light up. Severus wanted to curse Petunia and that husband of hers. How dare they harm Lily’s boy?!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter but I hope people like it :)

Severus picked the boy up much too easily. He had potion ingredients that weighed more than the small child. It angered him, but he pushed it away. He didn’t want to scare or upset Harry. 

The boy smiled at him widely, “Auntie never picks me up.” He whispered. “Like it.” He said contently. 

Severus decided he would never let the boy return to his terrible relatives again. Could he be the one to raise him? He wanted to but he feared not being good enough. What if he turned into his father? That was his worst fear. 

Then again, Severus thought, he knew what the little boy had gone true and he knew how to slowly heal those hurts. Perhaps he was what Harry needed. He realised he wanted to be what Harry needed, especially when the kid looked at him with such hopeful eyes. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, not very long either but I hope people like it! This one is from Harry's pov so I hope it's realistic as being from a small child's pov with the writing style.

Harry liked the magic man Santa had send to help him. He actually listened to Harry and didn’t yell at him, like auntie Tuny and uncle Vernon always did and he was so warm. Severus was so nice and he was even holding Harry and not calling him a freak! Santa really read his letter, hopefully this meant he could go with Severus after he showed him his cupboard because it would mean Severus knew he was really a good boy. 

They arrived at the house and Severus put Harry down just before aunt Tuny stormed outside and began to yell at Harry for stealing her Dudders’ things. She raised her hand to hit Harry but Severus stepped in and pointed a stick at her. 

“I will not allow you to hit him, Petunia.” Severus said, “He is going to take his belongings and then I am taking him with me and if I ever hear you harmed a child again, I will make sure you regret being born.” 

“We never wanted him, he should be with you and your freaks.” Aunt Tuny said, “Lily should have never gone to that stupid school.” 

“Severus is not a freak.” Harry stomped his foot and crossed his arms. He knew he was sometimes but Severus was nice and it wasn’t fair of his aunt to be mean to Severus who was chosen by Santa to look for him. 

Severus got on his knees in front of Harry and hugged him, Harry found that he liked hugs a lot. 

“Don’t listen to your aunt, Harry,” Severus said, “She’s a mean, bitter liar and you can ignore whatever she says. Please trust me, alright?” 

“Okay,” Harry smiled. He would much rather trust and listen to Severus anyways. Severus was already much much better than anyone he had ever met before. 

Severus gave aunt Tuny a mean look and then followed Harry to his cupboard where Harry got his blanket and a broken toy. 

“Is that all you want to take?” Severus asked. 

“Is all I have.” Harry said, “Don’t need much.” He promised and smiled at Severus again. 

Severus picked him up again and Harry felt safe and happy in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Severus and Harry will be heading to Gringotts and get a new family, I hope to get it up soon! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updating this one! It's short but it's all the muse was willing to do :)

Severus was appalled with the condition Harry was in. It was evident he had never had anyone care for him before. To think kids could ask Santa for anything and all Harry wanted was a home. He felt ashamed for not checking on the boy sooner and hated that Harry suffered at all. Even with the vow he had made, he would do anything for the sweet and innocent boy that was in his arms. 

“No one’s ever nice to me,” Harry said softly, “I like you.” He smiled. 

“I like you too, Harry.” Severus said. 

“Do you want to be my Daddy?” Harry asked shyly. 

“I would be honoured to, Harry.” Severus said gently and placed a kiss on top of Harry’s head, “Let’s go, little one. This will feel a bit funny, it’s how wizards travel.” He apparated away from the boring neighbourhood and Petunia’s yelling.   
Harry whimpered once they were in Severus’s home, “Feel nauseous, daddy.” He said softly. 

“Here, drink this, child,” Severus handed him a bottle, “it will make your stomach feel better.”


End file.
